The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors recently completed the second big trade of the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Players who were key parts of each team are on the move in a sizable shake-up.
New York acquired OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and a 2024 second-round pick via the Detroit Pistons. It was a deal that caught a lot of people off guard as Quickley and Barrett were part of the young core the Knicks had been building over the last few years.
Seeing homegrown players on the move is always tough for fans, as Quickley and Barrett left their stamp on the fan base during their tenure in New York. Being traded to a division rival in the Raptors is tough to stomach, but it could have been must worse.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Immanuel Quickley, Marucs Smart, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks Updates
According to Fred Katz of The Athletic, the Knicks had some talks with the Boston Celtics about a trade centered around Quickley. That deal would have involved defensive-minded guard Marcus Smart, who was eventually traded by the Celtics. He went to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a three-team deal that also included the Washington Wizards, which landed Kristaps Porzingis in Boston.
Seeing Quickley in Celtics green would have been a lot to handle as he had become a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden. The Raptors aren’t near the same level of rivals with the Knicks as the Celtics are, as fans can still root for two of the young guys who began their careers in New York.
Patience, which Leon Rose has exhibited throughout his tenure as the team president, paid off in this scenario as well. While there are certainly positives to what Smart brings to the court, that deal wouldn’t have yielded as positive of returns as the deal with the Raptors did.
Anunoby is a star two-way player and fills a major need on the wing for the Knicks. They were lacking that player who entering every game you knew would match up with the opposing team’s best player regardless of their position.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Immanuel Quickley, Marucs Smart, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks Updates
The Knicks were also able to move off of Barrett’s contract. While there is still hope that he can get his career on track and blossom into a solid player, he was viewed as a ‘toxic asset’ by some evaluators around the NBA.
Moving off of a toxic asset, while upgrading your lineup and retaining all of your first-round picks certainly sounds like a win. While losing a player of Quickley’s caliber hurts, if there was no future for him in New York, getting an impact player such as Anunoby in return for him is a great turn of events.
Want the latest NBA analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click Here. Follow NBA Analysis Network on Twitter and Facebook.
Interested in reading the latest storylines and analysis in the NFL? Check out our partner NFL Analysis Network.
